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Monday, 18 June 2012

The new Liberty quilting cottons

If you have been reading blogposts from bloggers who went Quilt Market, you may have heard that Liberty are bringing out a line of quilting cottons (making them more affordable than the Liberty tana lawns). Katy I'm a Ginger Monkey visited Liberty last week and came back with a few little samples for us to try out. I was allocated the blues and made this pillow for friends of mine who are moving house today.

It was actually quite brave of me to give something homemade to these friends. I'm now comfortable giving homemade gifts to other quilters and crafters and to some of my family members (those who've shown even a glimmer of interest tend to get lumbered with something or other). But it's a big step for me to give something homemade to non crafters. Will they think "cheapskate, did she not want to spend the money on something nice from a shop?" I hope not but, if next time I visit, the pillow is nowhere to be seen, I will know that perhaps giving homemade was not the right thing to do. Oh and both Katy I'm a Ginger Monkey and my Liberty pillows are also featured over on the Fat Quarterly blog today.

38 comments:

What a funky Union Jack - nice range of fabrics and I love the patterned binding too - what's not to love about it, and I'm sure your friend will love it too (go on be honest, if you were 75% sure handmade wouldn't be appreciated you'd never have made if for them)

that's gorgeous! I know what you mean about giving handmade. I've been giving my family handmade stuff for Christmas the last few years and my sisters are always totally unimpressed. Nothing new there ;-)

It looks great but you'll only ever know if you turn up unannounced, if they know you're coming they might put it out for your benefit! :-) We used to joke that our sister-in-law went around putting out the gifts we bought her before our arrival.

This is gorgeous! I love making handmade gifts for good friends but I am never sure if they know how long it takes to put it together, and that I am thinking about the recipient with every stitch. I hope nobody would think I was being a cheapskate - it's much easier to pop to the shops! Hope your beautiful gift is well received x

Oh, the giving of handmade gifts! You can sometimes get a surprising obviously genuine thank you from someone you were not sure would like the gift, or no thank you at all from a fellow crafter. And someone I didn't think would be interested once asked if I would make one the same for her. It's a lottery!

I love how your pillow turned out! I know exactly what you mean about some people not liking homemade. I've worked really hard making quilts and crocheting pillows for a few family members as gifts and could tell right away it was not their "thing". I tell myself that everyone has their likes and dislikes and now as much as I want to make them things...because I feel like that's how I express love...I resist the urge to make anything else for them and just buy something. It is really fun to have a friend who so happily receives anything I make for her.

Love the pillow too. People are weird. I wouldn't worry about it. It's the thought that counts if they don't like it don't make them anything again. If they then make subtle hints about quilts and things, tell the truth. Brutal, but honest!

Hmm, it is always hard to gauge how a handmade present will be received, and very sad when the hours and hours of work that went into it aren't appreciated. I have found however that cushions are a pretty sure thing. Pretty much everyone I've given a cushion to in the last decade still has it on their sofa :)

I never have understood how people could not appreciate a homemade gift. I mean what do they think....the fabric and our time is free?:) I'm lucky...there is not one family member nor friend that wouldn't love something I made!

That pillow is brilliant...love that you used a different fabric for each piece and totally agree with Marg...the binding is the crowning touch.

I love it and I am looking forward to buying the fabrics too. To me, my time is far more precious than cash so if I give a handmade present it is because I really like the person well enough to give them something valuable. It takes 5 minutes to run into the shop and grab something, anyone can do that. Now, that said, whatever you give might not be the right thing for the person, but that is usually about how it is made but rather what it is, colours, etc. So you have given a special one of a kind gift of your time and creativity, the best gift ever.

If they don't like it then they seriously have no idea and no taste whatsoever - but I totally understand the quandry you are in! I made a (beautiful) quilt for a godchild - and her mum didn't even bother to call to say it had arrived in the mail and I only found out it had when I actually called and asked her if it had arrived - when she thanked me for the quilt, didn't effuse, nothing....sometimes I don't understand people!!

I understand about this home/handmade thing. I made my daughters prom dresses, and elder daughters friend was all sneery, 'I wouldn't wear a home made dress. Not at any price' and then when daughter turned up, friend refused to believe it was home made, and quite put out that daughter wouldn't tell her where she bought it!Your things would always be greeted well, as they are beautifully put together. Love those lberty fabrics.